Is Houndoom Good in HeartGold & SoulSilver Playthrough?
Houndour evolves at level 24. Dark/Fire with AbilityFlash Fire granting Fire immunity. Strong special Attack and good Speed. Fire coverage is rare in HGSS, making Houndoom valuable wherever you find it.
Houndoom has the type edge here and should clean up Falkner's team.
Houndoom resists most of Bugsy's coverage and hits back hard.
Houndoom has the type edge here and should clean up Whitney's team.
Houndoom resists most of Morty's coverage and hits back hard.
Houndoom trades roughly evenly with Chuck's team.
Houndoom resists most of Jasmine's coverage and hits back hard.
Houndoom resists most of Pryce's coverage and hits back hard.
Houndoom trades roughly evenly with Clair's team.
Houndoom has the type edge here and should clean up Brock's team.
Houndoom has the type edge here and should clean up Misty's team.
Houndoom has the type edge here and should clean up Lt. Surge's team.
Houndoom resists most of Erika's coverage and hits back hard.
Houndoom has the type edge here and should clean up Janine's team.
Houndoom has the type edge here and should clean up Sabrina's team.
Houndoom trades roughly evenly with Blaine's team.
Houndoom trades roughly evenly with Blue's team.
Houndoom resists most of Will's coverage and hits back hard.
Houndoom has the type edge here and should clean up Koga's team.
Houndoom trades roughly evenly with Bruno's team.
Houndoom has the type edge here and should clean up Karen's team.
Lance's team hits Houndoom's weaknesses hard.
Catchable
Catch Houndoom in the Safari Zone (walking, Lv 43-44). Requires 10 Peak objects placed in Plains.
Recommended Moves
- STARTING (Lv 43)
- LV 43FireFire FangPower 98Accuracy 95%PP 15
- After Bugsy
- TM38FireFire BlastPower 180Accuracy 85%PP 5Goldenrod Department Store
- TM15NormalHyper BeamPower 150Accuracy 90%PP 5Goldenrod Department Store
- TM22GrassSolar BeamPower 120Accuracy 100%PP 10Goldenrod Department Store
- After Clair
- TM79DarkDark PulsePower 120Accuracy 100%PP 15Sold by the TM clerk on 3F of the Celadon Department Store
- LV 48FireFlamethrowerPower 143Accuracy 100%PP 15
- LV 54DarkCrunchPower 120Accuracy 100%PP 15
- LV 60DarkNasty PlotPower —Accuracy 100%PP 20
How to Get Houndoom in HeartGold & SoulSilver
Catch a Houndour on its Kanto route at night and level it to 24 for Houndoom. That rare nighttime catch is the front end of the whole line.
1 location to catch Houndoom1 location to catch Houndour
Encountered via tall grass encounters
Encountered via tall grass encounters
Badge 8Catch Houndour at any of the 1 location below, then level it up to 24 — it evolves into Houndoom.
Badge 8Where To Catch Houndoom in HGSS
To get Houndoom, start by catching Houndour through walking encounters at Lv. 15. The chain covers 2 catchable stages before reaching the final form.
- Step 1Catch Houndour
- Step 2Houndoom ✓or evolve from Houndour (Step 1)
Not landing the catch? Calculate Houndoom catch rates for HeartGold & SoulSilver by ball, status, and HP.
How to Get Shiny Houndoom in HeartGold & SoulSilver
Houndoom evolves from Houndour, so breed that base form Masuda-style at 1 in 1,638 and raise it up. Compare Shiny Houndoom odds across every game
HeartGold & SoulSilver Shiny Houndoom Calculator
2 MethodsThe best route is Masuda Method, about 1 in 1,639 on each try.
Masuda Method: Breed with a parent from a different-language game. Works on any breedable line.
Full Odds: Walk through grass, surf, or fish. Every encounter is its own independent shiny roll.
How many you have done, or plan to do.
| Chance | Encounters | Time |
|---|---|---|
| 10%lucky few | 173-- | -- |
| 25%one in four | 472-- | -- |
| 50%coin flip | 1,136-- | -- |
| 90%very likely | 3,773-- | -- |
Time assumes -- at your pace and does not change your shiny odds.
How is this calculated?
Every encounter has the same shiny chance, the Shiny Odds Per Try shown above. Each one is a separate roll that does not care how many you have already done, so the more you hunt, the higher your overall chance of at least one shiny. The formula below turns your odds and your number of tries into that combined chance.
chance after N tries = 1 − (1 − p)^N, where p = 1 / odds per try
Example at 1 in 8,192 (classic full odds): about 864 encounters for a 10 percent chance, 5,678 for 50 percent, and 18,862 for 90 percent.
The table above flips that around: it shows how many encounters it takes to reach a 10, 25, 50, and 90 percent chance at your current odds. Turning on boosts like the Shiny Charm, sandwiches, or chains improves your odds, so the encounter numbers drop.
These are estimates, not promises. Most games have no pity counter, meaning no guaranteed shiny no matter how many you hunt, so even Very Likely is not guaranteed: some hunters find one early, others go well past that point.
Want exact numbers for your session? Calculate your shiny odds in HeartGold & SoulSilver with Houndoom preloaded.
Houndoom Weakness
Water, Fighting, Ground, and Rock moves hit Houndoom for super-effective damage. The upside? Psychic-type moves can't touch it at all. With 6 resistances, the defensive profile is strong. Flash Fire grants an additional Fire immunity, reshaping the matchup chart. Houndoom's special bulk (base 80 Sp.Def) helps absorb special-type weaknesses, though physical moves exploit the lower Defense.
| Damage | Types |
|---|---|
| 2x (Weak) | Water, Fighting, Ground, Rock |
| 0.5x (Resist) | Fire, Grass, Ice, Ghost, Dark, Steel |
| 0x (Immune) | Psychic |
- Fairy type does not exist — Dragon has fewer checks
- Physical / Special split now per-move (introduced Gen IV)
What is Houndoom Weak Against
GoodBest Pokemon Against Houndoom
 Hariyama Fighting | B | |
Available Moves Moves
Damage vs Houndoom View Hariyama builds →Focus Punch 2x224-264%KO Dig 2x80-94% Rock Tomb 2x51-61% Surf 2x30-35% | ||
 Marowak Ground | C | |
Available Moves Moves
Damage vs Houndoom View Marowak builds →Focus Punch 2x107-126%KO Dig 2x87-103%KO Rock Tomb 2x36-43% | ||
 Hitmonlee Fighting | C | |
Obtain MethodEvolve Tyrogue (Mt Mortar Gift) Available Moves Moves
Damage vs Houndoom View Hitmonlee builds →Focus Punch 2x224-264%KO Rock Tomb 2x51-61% | ||
 Feraligatr Water | C | |
Obtain MethodEvolve Totodile (New Bark Town Gift) Available Moves Moves
Damage vs Houndoom View Feraligatr builds →Focus Punch 2x131-155%KO Waterfall 2x108-127%KO Dig 2x72-85% Rock Tomb 2x45-53% | ||
 Primeape Fighting | C | |
Available Moves Moves
Damage vs Houndoom View Primeape builds →Focus Punch 2x198-233%KO Dig 2x72-85% Rock Tomb 2x45-53% | ||
 Lapras WaterIce | C | |
Obtain MethodUnion Cave Interact Encounter Available Moves Moves
Damage vs Houndoom View Lapras builds →Surf 2x75-89% Rock Smash 2x31-37% | ||
 Vaporeon Water | B | |
Obtain MethodEvolve Eevee (Goldenrod City Gift) Available Moves Moves
Damage vs Houndoom View Vaporeon builds →Surf 2x94-110%KO Dig 2x50-59% Rock Smash 2x26-30% | ||
 Tentacruel WaterPoison | B | |
Obtain MethodCherrygrove City Surfing | ||
 Machoke Fighting | C | |
Available Moves Moves
Damage vs Houndoom View Machoke builds →Focus Punch 2x191-226%KO Dig 2x69-82% Rock Tomb 2x43-51% | ||
 Ludicolo WaterGrass | C | |
Available Moves Moves
Damage vs Houndoom View Ludicolo builds →Surf 2x79-94% Focus Punch 2x96-114%KO | ||
 Gyarados Water | S | |
Obtain MethodLake Of Rage Good Rod Available Moves Moves
Damage vs Houndoom View Gyarados builds →Aqua Tail 2x140-166%KO Rock Smash 2x42-50% | ||
 Suicune Water | A | |
Obtain MethodBurned Tower Interact Encounter Available Moves Moves
Damage vs Houndoom View Suicune builds →Surf 2x79-94% Dig 2x55-66% Rock Smash 2x28-34% | ||
 Sandslash Ground | B | |
Available Moves Moves
Damage vs Houndoom View Sandslash builds →Focus Punch 2x127-150%KO Dig 2x104-122%KO Rock Tomb 2x43-51% | ||
 Medicham FightingPsychic | C | |
Available Moves Moves
Damage vs Houndoom View Medicham builds →Focus Punch 2x128-151%KO Rock Tomb 2x30-35% | ||
Houndoom Evolutions
Evolved from Houndour. Houndoom is the final form in this two-stage line. A massive partner pool for breeding via one egg group. Eggs take an average time to hatch. HP grew the most through evolution (+30 over Houndour), and Houndoom peaks at 500 total stats. View every chain in the Evolution Chart.
How to Evolve
Breeding
Breed with Houndoom to get Houndour eggs easily using 131 partners from the Field egg group. Notable egg moves include Beat Up, Counter, Feint and 10 more.
HGSS Houndoom Best Moveset
Special Dark/Fire attacker at 110 Sp. Atk and 95 Speed with AbilityFlash Fire turning incoming Fire moves into free power. The moveset fires fast special Dark and Fire coverage that few types resist simultaneously. 75 HP and 50 Defense are the physical-side gaps.
Best Build
Houndoom best EVs are Sp. Atk and Speed
Special Setup Sweeper Moveset
- Dark Pulse
- Sucker Punch
- Fire Blast
- Nasty Plot
Recommended Teammates
Moves List
Without breeding, Houndoom misses out on Beat Up and Counter. That's 13 egg moves adding depth that the base kit lacks. STAB comes from Fire Blast and Heat Wave, with coverage across 8 types rounding things out.
How to Read the Moves Table
Tabs
- Level-Up
- Learned by leveling up.
- TM
- Taught by a Technical Machine.
- Egg
- Inherited via breeding.
- Tutor
- NPC tutor (cost: items, BP, money).
- Reminder
- An NPC reteaches any move this Pokemon could have learned by leveling up.
- Transfer
- Carried over from an older game using Pokemon HOME.
- Event
- Given out through Mystery Gift events.
Visual Signals
CAT (Category)
How the move deals damage and which stats it uses.
A small dot on the icon's corner marks the move as contact. That triggers abilities like Static, Flame Body, Rough Skin, or Iron Barbs, plus items like Rocky Helmet and Sticky Barb.
Tier (S to D)
Each move's competitive rank in RankedBoost's system. TM, Egg, and Tutor sort by tier by default (best first). On Level-Up, click the Tier header to do the same.
PWR (Power)
Base damage. Numbers shown in a type color include STAB (base × 1.5). Hover any colored number to see the math.
— means no power (status moves) or variable power.
Sorting & Filter
Click any column header to sort. Level-Up opens with Lv 1 at the top. TM, Egg, and Tutor open with the highest-tier moves at the top.
Search filters by move name or type. The Filter button limits the list to STAB, Physical, Special, or Status moves.
Level-Up Moves
TM Moves
All 28 TMs are obtainable before the Elite Four
Egg Moves
Tutor Moves
Base Stats
If you are burned by the flames it shoots from its mouth, the pain will never go away.
Upon hearing its eerie howls, other Pokémon get the shivers and head straight back to their nests.
Houndoom HeartGold & SoulSilver Guide
- Where in the HeartGold & SoulSilver Safari Zone can I find Houndoom?
See the Locations section above for where to find Houndoom in HeartGold & SoulSilver.
Safari rules: You can only use Safari Balls. No battling. Two tactical items shift the catch/flee trade-off:
- Throw bait to keep Houndoom from fleeing (flee rate cut to 1/4) but it becomes harder to catch (catch factor halved).
- Throw a rock to make Houndoom easier to catch (catch factor doubled) but it flees twice as often.
- Each effect lasts 2-6 random turns; throwing one cancels the other.
Mega Evolution isn't available in HeartGold & SoulSilver, but Houndoom does have a Mega form in Gen 6-7 games (X/Y, ORAS, Sun/Moon). Mega Houndoom hits 600 BST.
Yes. Houndoom is a post-game Pokemon. You need to defeat the Elite Four and enter the Hall of Fame first. Houndoom becomes available after the main story is complete in HeartGold & SoulSilver.
In HeartGold & SoulSilver, use Houndoom as an attacker. Splits damage between physical and special. Speed is middling,
For HeartGold & SoulSilver, build your team around Forretress, Heracross, and Crobat. These have the highest co-usage rates with Houndoom in competitive formats. They cover each other's weaknesses.
Game Availability
Since debuting in Gold & Silver, Houndoom has appeared in 17 titles over 8 generations. Along the way, it received a Mega form in Generation 6, keeping it relevant across different competitive metas.
Click a game to view version-specific details
- Gen 1RB
Red & Blue - Gen 1Y
Yellow - Gen 2GSDebut
Gold & Silver - Gen 2C
Crystal - Gen 3RS
Ruby & Sapphire - Gen 3E
Emerald - Gen 3FRLG
FireRed & LeafGreen - Gen 4DP
Diamond & Pearl - Gen 4Pt
Platinum - Gen 4HGSS
HeartGold & SoulSilver - Gen 5BW
Black & White - Gen 5B2W2
Black 2 & White 2 - Gen 6XY
X & Y - Gen 6ORASMega
Omega Ruby & Alpha Sapphire - Gen 7SM
Sun & Moon - Gen 7USUM
Ultra Sun & Ultra Moon - Gen 7Let's Go
Let's Go Pikachu & Eevee - Gen 8SwSh
Sword & Shield - Gen 8BDSP
Brilliant Diamond & Shining Pearl - Gen 8PLA
Legends: Arceus - Gen 9SV
Scarlet & Violet - Gen 9LZA
Legends: Z-A - Gen 10WW
Winds & Waves
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